Judicial Watch Sues for Obama Trip Costs

Judicial Watch has sued the Secret Service and the U.S. Defense Department to obtain information on the amount of taxpayer funds spent on trips by President Barack Obama and his family over the past two years.

The conservative watchdog group said Thursday it had filed the lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in U.S. District Court in Washington.

The litigation seeks information on how much the government spent on trips last year by President Obama to Africa, California, Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, and to Hawaii in 2012; and by first lady Michelle Obama to Ireland last June and to London in 2012 for the Olympics.

"The Obama administration is in cover-up mode on the costs of the Obamas’ travel," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "The Secret Service has, in contemptuous violation of law, simply stopped answering our Freedom of Information inquiries.

"It seems that our 'king' does not want taxpayers to know how much he’s spending on his unnecessary travel,” he said.

Last week, Judicial Watch said that information obtained through a FOIA request revealed that taxpayers spent a total of $295,437.04 on separate trips for President Obama, Mrs. Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden during the three-day President's Day holiday last February.

Judicial Watch has sued the Secret Service and the U.S. Defense Department to obtain information on the amount of taxpayer funds spent on trips by President Barack Obama and his family over the past two years.